LEGISLATIVE BULLETIN - February 10, 2003

HEARINGS THIS WEEK

SB 2358 is the Grain Dealers’ bill on rail leases and indemnity provisions.  Senate Transportation Committee hearing at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday February 13.  Please call the Association office if you would like to testify, attend, or have examples of problems that could be included in the testimony.

HB 1486 seeks to raise the Wheat Commission checkoff from 10 mills (one cent) to 15 mills and give four of those mills to two private trade associations that lobby on wheat policies.  Although not named in the statutory language, it is the Grain Growers and Durum Growers Associations that are pushing hard for this.  The Wheat Commission is opposed and so the Grain Dealers concurs with the Wheat Commission.  House Ag Committee hearing at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday February 13. 

SB 2408 Seeks to require a certificate of approval from the Industrial Commission for the sale of any transgenic wheat seed.  Senate Agriculture Committee hearing at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday February 13.

ACTION LAST WEEK

A number of bills that the Grain Dealers Association is monitoring or working on saw action last week. 

HB 1026 would have created a Transgenic Wheat Board, but was killed in the House on Feb. 6 by pretty much a party line vote of 27-65. 

Anhydrous bills went our way so far.  HB 1194 was given a unanimous Do Not Pass by the House Ag Committee, but HB 1222 was given a unanimous Do Pass by that same committee on February 7.  HB 1222 provides immunity from civil liability for anhydrous owners if a thief is injured while stealing the anhydrous.  HB 1352 would require locks on anhydrous nurse tanks.  It is still in the House Judiciary Committee.  There is reason to believe the requirement for locks will be put on ice. 

HB 1310, dealt with the assessed value of grain elevators.  It passed the House 94-0 on February 4, but WITHOUT AMENDS TO APPLY TO COMMERCIAL SALES.

HB 1313, 3% tax on railroad fuels, was killed in the House 3-87 on February 7. 

The coverage cap on the indemnity fund for credit sale contracts, HB 1197, was raised to $250,000 and given a unanimous Do Pass by the House Ag Committee on February 7. 

HB 1314 would have allowed a 24-inch depth for ag activities, including soil sampling, instead of 18 inches.  This involves activities so simple as putting in a fence post.  Strong utility opposition brought a defeat in the House 33-57 on February 7.

The exemption from the 10-minute rail crossing blocking limit for grain elevators was removed from HB 1372 before it passed the House 85-9 on February 4.  

HB 1429 seeks to create a Forage Legumes and Grass Board, instead of the State Seed Commission handling this.  It was given a unanimous Do Not Pass by House Ag on February 6. 

The phasing-out of percent gauges for anhydrous in SB 2113 was defeated in the Senate 0-46 on February 4. 

SB 2256, providing exemption from the open records law for certain seed test results at the Seed Department, passed the Senate 40-7 on February 5. 

SB 2304 would have placed liability on a seed developer for economic damages to a farmer as a result of cross-pollination by transgenic crops.  It failed in the Senate 19-28 on February 6.  

SB 2407, weight of fertilizer spreaders and chemical applicators, was amended satisfactorily in Senate Transportation on Thursday February 6 and given a unanimous Do Pass recommendation.

SB 2294, which would have brought us annual legislative sessions, went down 12-35 in the Senate on February 3.

            If you would like to provide your customers the convenience of using a credit card you can contact the Grain Dealers office for referral to our credit card processing rep.  Competitive fees and easy setup of your account and equipment before spring’s work are available.

            Be sure to mark Wednesday, March 12, 2003 on your calendar for the upcoming Safety, Health and Environmental Conference.  This year the conference will be held at the Doublewood Inn in Bismarck, ND. 

            This Conference fulfills the seminar attendance requirement for participation in the ND Workers Compensation Bureau’s Risk Management Program.    The registration forms will be sent out by the end of this week.